[TenTec] Ten-Tec commitment to customers...

[John]

Hi Bernie....

We are clearly all entitled to our opinions.  I am glad you are a happy 
customer.  I don't dislike my Orion, I just want it continually improved 
upon as promised UP FRONT.  I missed the part about "when it fits into our 
business plan".  I expected fairly routine updates.  I note that the latest 
firmware update for the Orion v1 was Dec 04, and v2 in May 07.  The latest 
Orion II firmware update was made in May 07.  Not quite what I expected from 
the promise to keep my radio upgraded.  I guess this is one reason why I 
feel their overall customer service level has changed and that they may have 
decided no additional updates are going to be made (or even possible).  The 
concept wasn't just to fix bugs....but to improve upon even the good stuff.

Enough from me........I'd have to buy another spool of "thread"....pun 
intended.

73 to all.......John K4NP
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <K5XS at aol.com>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 1:20 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec commitment to customers...


> This whole discussion is interesting to me.
>
> There seems to be a number (however small or large) of users who  suggest:
>
> 1)  Ten-Tec is close to abandoning its customers of some models ("If  they 
> do
> not plan any additional revisions or upgrades, they should clearly state
> so.").  My experience is anything but that, including my experience with 
> support
> for their older models.  I'd love to have a "customer account  software
> developer" to instantly incorporate every comment into revised  software, 
> but my
> sense is we are somewhere far from abandonment and (reasonably)  far from
> instant gratification.  I think the reason Ten-Tec hasn't "clearly 
> stated...they do
> not plan any additional revisions or upgrades" is because they  DO intend 
> to
> revise the code--when doing so is practical in their overall  priorities, 
> and
> that's what they have said.
>
> 2)  Ten-Tec no longer "loves or supports" their products.   ("Ten-Tec is a
> tin-bending shop with a circuit designer talent pool that loved  and 
> supported
> their products until they became a
> software company and  started to struggle [underlining mine].")  I just 
> don't
> buy that.   I have been helped with answers to lots of questions regarding
> old Ten-Tec  stuff and new.  I will add, I have been using my Orion II for 
> close
> to a  year, and have had no reason to look for support.  I think I am a
> fairly  heavy (weekend) multi-mode user, and have had no reason to ask for 
> a code
> revision.  I am still running the software that came with the box (2.037j)
> and have never encountered a bug in CW, SSB, PSK, AFSK-RTTY, FSK-RTTY, FM, 
> AM,
> or Slow Scan.  My XYL, six harmonics (and grandkids) will attest that I am
> finicky (she calls me OC, and I love the TV program "Monk"), so I am not 
> shy
> about reporting bugs; I just haven't had one!  I guess the hottest topic 
> lately
> has been audio quality.  Well, with the right AGC settings, I am 
> delighted
> with the audio in CW, AM, FM, and SSB, so I am at a loss to understand 
> the
> issues.  I'll admit I may be missing something, but I don't know what  it 
> would
> be.
>
> 3)  They have lost product focus ("They lost product focus and may  have a
> shot at survival with the OMNI VII if...").  I don't see it with  Ten-Tec, 
> but I
> think I do with Kenwood, Yaesu, and Icom.  Their products  seem to have 
> very
> short life cycles, and support is problematic once the  products are 
> replaced.
> Ten-Tec's product roadmap has been pretty clean in  my eye.  In the past
> decade or so:  Omni VI+, Pegasus Jupiter, Orion,  Orion II, Omni VII.  I 
> think
> that's been pretty focused.  (I would  guess they might have put off 
> releasing
> the Orion until it could have been what  the Orion II is today, but we can
> debate the "Wait for the better before you  release" discussion every 
> company has.)
>
> I am not a sunshine pumper by habit, and I think I know when I see poor
> support for hardware, software, or services.  I have not seen it with 
> Ten-Tec.
>
> Bernie Skoch
> K5XS
>
>
>
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